Mackinac Straits Fish Company

Note: This is the last entry for our road trip foods. I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the foods we ate on this road trip. Please continue reading as I move back into my normal blogging about home cooking. Cauliflower is next on the adgenda as I start restocking the freezers. And yes (heavy sigh) my countertops are not finished yet but we are getting closer. Oh the joys of DIY renovations!

We are not big into bringing home souvenirs from our many travels. The reason being is they add to every one's clutter. Not everyone appreciates that! What we are big into when traveling is bringing home foods from that region. Not only can we enjoy a nice meal we can reminisce about our travels. The Michigan Upper Peninsula is dotted with several places to buy whitefish and smoked fish. Both are a must bring some home so when visiting Michigan's Upper Peninsula be sure to bring a cooler.

Mackinac Straits Fish Company Store

The Mackinac Straits Fish Company store is conveniently located just after the first exit on M-75 after the Mackinac bridge, turn right onto Bus - 75 then right again onto Ferry Lane. The store is on the left hand side. The Mackinac Straits Fish Company process the fish as soon as they receive then. Quite often this is less than an hour from being taken from the nets. That means the fish is about as fresh as you can get unless you catch them yourself.

The store itself is quite small, basically the size under the "A" entrance. There likely isn't much more room than for about 5 customers at a time. Upon entering you face the fish counter. There is a fish freezer to the immediate left that holds not only fish but buffalo. They also sell wild fruit preserves, buffalo and beef jerky, smoked fish, fresh eggs and maple syrup.

Whitefish & Perch

We bought four packages of whitefish, two packages of perch and smoked salmon (see below). I really wanted to buy more but honestly with the cheese our cooler was stuffed! The total cost came to $46.89 which sounds high but consider this is enough fish for at least 6 meals so under the $5 per person meat cost and whitefish is not so easily found fresh where we are even though we live on the Great Lakes waterways. The perch really was just a whim. Given we catch perch ourselves and are often gifted with it from friends buying it seems a bit silly. You really can't have too much perch! It is so quick and easy to lightly coat and pan fry. Perch is a must have staple!

Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is a member of the trout/salmon family Salmonidae. It is the mainstay of the commercial fishing industry in the Great Lakes because of its exceptional yet delicate flavour, large size and schooling habits. Anglers have discovered it takes special techniques when fishing for whitefish because they swim in the cool, gloomy water of the Great Lakes at depths of 200 ft and deeper in warmer weather. Their mouth is small presenting another challenge for anglers.

A 3 - oz piece of whitefish has 146 calories, 20.8 gr protein and 65 mg cholesterol compared to a 3 oz piece of broiled sirloin that has 177 calories, 25.9 g protein and 76 mg of cholesterol. Broiling with a little butter will of course increase the calorie content but not by much. Consider though that each whitefish fillet is about a foot long so you will be over 3 oz but still it is a good value nutritionally. The flavour of the whitefish should shine through in the dish so keep it simple. Neither seasonings or sides should be overpowering.

Smoked Salmon

Smoking is an age old method of preserving meats and fish. The Mackinac Straits Fishing company smokes fish using wood from local forests, a blend of indigenous hardwoods, primarily sugar maple. Sugar maple adds a light, sweet flavour to the meat or fish. I only bought a small piece of smoked salmon. This was a impulse purchase. My husband's dad loved smoked fish and absolutely adored smoked salmon. He would simply eat it as is. I like the flavour as is as well. They kids enjoy smoked salmon too but then they will eat any fish. Unfortunately as far as I can tell my husband does not but perhaps he will try it again since a smoker is on my next to purchase list. I'm really not sure what I am going to do with this piece of smoked salmon. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of using some for a smoked salmon dip. I also have a couple of ideas for appetizers.

Bread & Maple Syrup

You know when you are traveling there are always neat food items to buy. Even though we have an abundance of Ontario maple syrup we bought a 32 oz (946 ml) jug of maple syrup from Wisconsin. Why? This jug cost $11.99, the same price we pay for a 500 ml bottle of Canada No. 1 maple syrup so almost half price. We love maple syrup and not just for pancakes!

I could not resist buying the Up North beer bread in a bottle. The bottle is larger than an actual beer bottle even though it resembles one. This is just a cute presentation and would make a cute gift. At $5.99 plus having to provide your own beer it is not going to be a very frugal loaf of bread! I'll report back on how it tastes :)

The Galley Restaurant & Bar

You simply cannot visit Michigan's Upper Peninsula without having a seafood dinner. Sorry but you just have to have one :) You also cannot leave the UP without bringing back some of that incredible fresh caught fish. By far the most recommended St. Ignace restaurant for white fish is The Galley Restaurant & Bar. The restaurant, owned and operated by the Gierlasynski family is located on on property that was formerly a fishery that provided fish to area residents. Their specialties are locally caught whitefish and lake trout.

The restaurant is mid-size, casual dress. We had a lovely table just back from overlooking the lake so next time we will request the table right by the window. The staff was extremely friendly and attentive. Children are definitely welcomed at this restaurant something that is nice to know if you are traveling with children or in our case grandchildren. They are open 7 days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from May to mid October.

Soup or Salad

Meals came with either homemade soup or salad, potato, rice or vegetable and fresh baked rolls. The salad was a basic tossed salad but a bit heavy on the dressing. The salad vegetables were fresh and crisp but it really was a basic salad. I think if they had used mesclun salad greens it would have been a much more impressive salad. On the other hand my husband ordered the clam chowder. It had a nice flavour and creamy texture, definitely worth ordering!

Seafood Platter

My husband ordered the seafood platter ($15.75). It came with local whitefish, perch, shrimp and deep fried scallops. The perch and whitefish were very lightly breaded. Both are such delicate fish that you really don't want a heavy breading on either. The shrimp and scallops was a lightly breaded as well but a little more so making it a nice pairing for the perch and whtefish. The platter came with a baked potato, sour cream, butter, tartar sauce and seafood sauce.

This is a very easy to duplicate meal at home and it is especially good using fresh caught lake perch and whitefish. Perch is almost always pan fried with just a light flour coating. Whitefish when pan fried is done the same way. Both shrimp and scallops can be deep fried but scallops better boiled or baked.

Whitefish

The UP is the place to order whitefish. It is simply divine! I ordered the broiled lemon pepper whitefish ($13.00). I have to tell you this really is the way I would prepare whitefish at home. It came with tartar sauce, a lemon wedge and a baked potato.

Whitefish has a succulent, mild flavour and flaky texture. It is best not to overpower it with too heavy of a seasoning. Lemon pepper is a nice seasoning for broiled whitefish and broiling is my preferred method for cooking this fish. Although whitefish can be breaded or lightly coated as with most fish it really is better without either. A little butter when broiling as well as a dash of fresh lemon juice will enhance the flavour.

Method: Set oven to broil. Lightly butter a shallow pan with butter. Place the whitefish fillet(s) on the pan, skin side down. Brush on a little butter. Squeeze the juice of a quarter lemon on each fillet. Sprinkle on a little lemon pepper (Tone's, msg free). Place the pan about 5 - inches under the broiler. Broil 5 to 7 minutes without turning. Remove when the fillets are opaque and flaky.

Bessie's Original Homemade Pasties

Bounded on the north by Lake Superior, on the east by St. Marys' River and on the south by Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, fresh fish is in abundance, especially whitefish in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The residents are referred to as Yoppers with many of them being of Finnish descent. Michigan's Upper Peninsula is also known for pasties (pronounced pass-tees). A pastie is a nutritious meal that was introduced to the Upper Peninsula in the mid 1800's by Cornish and Scandinavian immigrants who came to work in the iron ore and copper mines. The miners carried homemade pasties in a metal lunch pail. When the lid was removed and turned upside down a candle was used to heat the pasty. There is an annual pasty festival in Calumet in early July and pasties are so popular that many visitors to the Upper Peninsula take large amount of them home!

Bessie's

Ask anyone in St. Ignace where to go for the best pasties and the answer will be Bessie's. Bessie's "Original" Homemade Pasties in St. Ignace, Michigan has been at the same location for nearly 50 years. It was started by Bessie and Pee Wee Phelps in 1958. The business has been run by their son Pat and his wife for the past 27 years.

Pastie

Traditional ingredients for the filling are diced steak, fine sliced onion and potato. Rutabaga and parsley are sometimes added. Carrots although often included in American pasties are a sign of inferior quality in Cornwall. The pastie filling is tucked inside the folded crust which is then sealed with a distinctive fold originally used as a handle. Miners could eat the pastie holding the folded portion without getting the rest of the pasty dirty then discard the dirtied folded portion.

Bessie's makes their crust from 100% vegetable shortening and Gold Metal flour using a recipe that has been handed down for years. They have earned the title of Best in the UP! We ordered the Yopper Man Pastie Plate that came with gravy and a side of fresh coleslaw for $9.95 to share for lunch. The filling consisted of lean steak, potatoes, carrots and sweet onions bake in their flaky, melt in your mouth crust. Trust me on this one, pasties are very filling! They are down home frugal cooking made with inexpensive ingredients.

Although they say the crust is flaky, found it to be less so than the pie crust recipe I use and I do recall reading somewhere that a denser crust should be used. The filling was quite good but needed a bit more seasoning so when I make these at home I'm going to kick the filling up a notch likely with a bit of Montreal Steak seasoning. Even my husband said they were a bit bland. Now in perspective and knowing the history behind the pasties, originally there wouldn't have been much more for seasoning other than salt and pepper. This really isn't a dish to fancy up too much. Keep it simple!

Pasty Recipe

3 lb potatoes, diced
1 c carrots, diced
2 c onions, diced
2 c rutabaga, diced
2 lb steak, diced*
12 4oz pie crust dough balls

Mix filling together. Roll each of the dough balls into a 10 - inch circle. Put about 10 oz of (a generous heaping cup) of filling on the dough rough. Fold the dough over the filling. Crimp the edge. Bake for one hour at 350ºF.

* can substitute diced fish or ground beef

Breezy Point Bar & Grill

We were travelling up US-41 not really thinking of eating yet we had been on the road for a little over five hours. By then US-41 had turned into M-35 even though we were on the same road. Although we had stopped once to fill the car with gas and have a washroom break we still were not overly hungry likely because of the fruit and sunflower seeds I bought at the Piggly Wiggly (love that name) just after getting on the road. As we headed north the camera was in almost constant action. The total number of pictures taken for the 6 day trip was 829.

We have an uncanny knack of finding good food in out of the way places. As we were neared Escanaba, Michigan I needed a break so we pulled into the Breezy Point Bar & Grill. We met back at the car and my husband asked if I was hungry. He said the food looked pretty good and it would be another couple of hours before we reached St. Ignace. He also pointed out that after checking in to the motel then we would have to find somewhere to eat making it so we would be eating a large meal before retiring and we know that isn't good for you. Well it didn't take much to twist my rubber arm. Besides, I was getting tired of sitting in the car.

Breezy Point Bar & Grill is a small pub on M-35 at Escanaba, Michigan (301 N 19th St, Escanaba, MI). Sorry, but it does not appear they have a website. It would be easy to miss as the building is a small, wood log structure that blends into the surrounding trees. There is ample parking in front and to the side. The sign on the structure is rather small too so it would be easy to miss. Hidden behind those doors was good home cooked style food and friendly service. Children are welcomed during the dinner hours.


Chicken Special

Meals are served in plastic baskets lined with paper. Utensils are metal instead of plastic so that is a plus. The meal portions are generous so are a good value for your dollar. We spent just under $20 plus tip for the two meals with a drink each.

The Breezy Point Bar & Grill has daily specials and Sunday was the chicken dinner special so I ordered that. It came with a half of chicken, fries, coleslaw and a bun. The chicken was lightly seasoned then deep fried with no breading. I have to tell you this although I think I've mentioned it before is I am not a fan of anything breaded. The chicken was fried to a golden brown with a nice crispy skin yet succulent, moist meat. The fries were standard thin cut frozen fries. Ketchup was available for the fries but no malt or even plain white vinegar. I really need vinegar with my French fries although I will settle for mustard dip. The coleslaw was the standard mayonnaise variety. A dinner roll was included with the meal.

Swiss Mushroom Burger

My husband ordered the Swiss mushroom burger. The burger was ⅓ lb ground chuck topped with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese on a toasted bun. It came with a side of French fries. This burger got a two thumbs up from my husband. Seriously that says a lot! Deep down I think he is looking for ways to perfect his homemade burgers ;)

Burgers are featured quite often on this blog because my husband loves them. He isn't into the standard fly-by-the-seat burgers either our generic term for fast food burgers. What he looks for in a burger is flavour and substance. He doesn't want a preformed pattie or plain generic buns. Forget that American cheese slices too. I think the only two things that he doesn't like on a burger are hot peppers and pickles. Trust me on this one, small out of the way bars and pubs have some of the best burgers around.